Insignificant
by Halo4ever
Summary: A depressed ODST shares his story with the well known Human-AI Hybrid, Cortana, about his struggle to reunite with his family. Based off of the story "Stars" this is an short 2 chapter story about determination and strength. Written in honor of those in the real world who are serving overseas during the holiday season.


**A/N: Being in the holiday spirit, even though Christmas has almost come to a close…I decided it would be fun to do a one-shot holiday special (broken into 2 separate chapters). It interlinks with my story "Stars" but you can still read this one-shot without having read my other story (but I think it would be awesome if you did). Anyways, all you need to know is Cortana has a real, human body. Want to know how? Well you already know the answer to that question. Enjoy & Review! **

**NOTE: This in no way effects the main story in a huge way. It's simply an off story, and is plausible to the characters current state. AU content. **

Cortana needed coffee.

It was as simple as that.

She already knew when first tasting the rich drink she would immediately become addictive to its caffeinated pleasures. Even though she was more than grateful to have her human body that also processes AI abilities – and more – she still felt she moved at a slower pace than before and caffeine not only fixed that mind problem but gave her human body more of a jolt as well.

Her team and Spartan companion, Chief, quickly picked up on this and prepared for the worst possible scenario - when Cortana didn't have her coffee.

Luckily for them Cortana always arrived at the mess hall at the perfect time. On Infinity, the UNSC's current biggest class warship, there were no "night time" "day time" routines. While it is true that most missions are operational on the earths orbital day clock, armor decks and flight hangers are always running and you always hear the sound of clanking armor and orders throughout Infinity's walls.

Cortana was wide awake at 0432 and quickly slipped on the standard everyday uniform boots. They were light weight, and impressively had a gel lining so in case of an emergency combat boots or armory could be built over them on last minute notice. She stretched and proceeded toward the door, walking out into the grey hallway passing soldiers. She passed Chiefs room as she made her way down towards the mess hall. She noted he wasn't in his room after doing a quick scan. But decided against doing a ship scan since that always made her tired, and she wanted to respect some of his privacy.

In the mess hall the walls meshed together into one blob of different shades of grey and posters, projections and signs of UNSC rules and "inspirational" mottos were projected onto the grey walls. The corners had instant-vending machines of quick meals including: Burgers, protein bars, juices, and Cortana's favorite, coffee.

She walked over to find a table after retrieving her coffee, the sent filling her lungs. Different rankings of soldiers, men and woman, were scattered around the moderately sized mess hall. In seconds – she read there expressions and standard files. Standard files were like a soldiers resume, quick and easy. Most of them were on leave and had departure trips to earth in a few hours. One just returned from a scouting mission on a nearby orbiting planet, another worked in the labs and desperately was trying to stay awake reading a file – she defiantly needs coffee. But one of them caught her eye - he was young, age 30. His file read "Jace Anderson" he was in the UNSC Marine Corps, an ODST. They were more commonly referred to as hell jumpers – special operations. But it didn't take much to figure out his situation. The expression on his face projected sadness mixed with anger. He clenched his hands and unclenched his hands from time to time as thoughts rolled through his head. Cortana conjured up an idea and grabbed another coffee and headed in his direction. She placed the cup in his field of view and he looked up puzzled.

"You look like you need this." She took a seat from the other side of the table.

"Thank You, I'm not permitted to have this due to my medications, but I haven't had coffee in weeks and I _really _need it." His hands shook as he brought the rim of the cup to his lips.

"Don't worry about, Faryoclycine is rarely affected by caffeinated steroids and will only give you heartburn at most, and that's only the 27 percentile." She trailed off realizing she was about to go on a tangent.

"How did you…?" He looked up and focused on her, suddenly his face changed to shock of realization.

"Your Cortana, it's a pleasure Ma'am." He went to a salute but forgot he was holding the beverage. Cortana already knowing this caught the beverage, not a drop spilled onto the plastic table.

"You seem to have lost your edge usually ODST's are more on point?" She looked at him sympathetically already noting he was seriously sleep deprived.

"It's been a rough past few weeks Ma'am." He shook his head slowly placing his hands on his face.

"Would you like to talk about it?" She loosened her posture to seem less intimidating and more open.

He looked doubtful, Cortana held up her hand. "Don't view me as High Command I am far from that and the UNSC's regulations of 'privacy' anything you say would stay between us. I'm a friend not an enemy." She lowered her hand and studied his expressions.

He seemed to relax and took a deep breath. He placed his hands openly on the table and took another breath once more to clear his thoughts.

"I've been in service since I was 19. My old man couldn't afford to put food on the table, after the Covenant attack near our village… we lost a lot of resources and it preeminently damaged our pathways in and out of the village. The mines were my father worked collapsed entirely. We were practically cut off. My Mama was sick, and she needed her medicine. So I took off in the middle of night and the next day I was in one of the outer bank UNSC training camps. I've never been home since. I sent money to them, whatever I earned, once I was placed into service. I knew it was enough to keep them afloat. But I never saw them again. About 4 years later when I sent the monthly amount, it was denied and returned to me. An officer visited me to inform me that about 2 weeks prior the village had been glassed, my family was dead. I would've been notified sooner but they had no background information on me, and until I sent that letter they had no idea of my origins." He paused to take a breath, looking away at a random object as if he was recalling the memory.

Cortana's heart sank. He had lost his family, at age 23, but never saw them after he left.

"You see Ma'am. They were all I had, and the UNSC became my family. Sometimes I wondered if I would've stayed they would still have been alive…things would've been different. A few years back I meet Emily – a respected med tech in one of the special unit emergency drops. She became my best friend, and after a couple of years she became my wife, and I had a family again." He paused again, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

"It was the two year gap between the war, when we thought we made peace with the Covenant, or at least the flames reduced. In that time we went back to earth, had a proper memorial for my parents – even though there was no remains, and we got married. When the rival between the Human and Covenant fired back up again we were deployed back. But Emily had to stay – she was pregnant."

Cortana bit her lip she held back the flood of thoughts that chipped at her mind.

"I was happy Ma'am, I really was, and I couldn't wait to see my daughter. I just wanted to be sent on leave, even for just a short time to see my baby girl." He was crying now, or as close to crying as you could get for an ODST. "She's 4 years of age now and I've never meant her once. They won't let me go - they won't let me see my own daughter." He was shaking his head his fists clutching in angry.

"Well, Emily always celebrated this old holiday known as 'Christmas' it was celebrated in her family for generations. A lot of people do actually especially where she located is now. It's a popular holiday. That's why most of these people here are on leave, they're going to spend Christmas with their family." He gestured around the room.

Cortana noticed a few more people had traveled into the mess hall.

"I keep putting a request in, but they don't have time for that. They got other important stuff to do. They just don't get it Ma'am. The few things we soldiers hold on to are stripped away from us… were not a bunch of machines.

That snapped Cortana to full attention and made her mind think of John.

"I haven't seen my own wife and daughter for 5 whole years. The crappy camera connection that we get every once in a while just isn't enough…" He trailed off and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a picture and handed it to Cortana.

Cortana took the thin laminated paper and studied it closely. Emily had long brown hair and big brown eyes her skin was tan her smile genuine as she watched her daughter laugh at something in the distance. The little girl looked a lot like Emily. She had long brown hair to, brown eyes but had the nose and lips of Jace. She stared at the picture for a few more seconds before handing it back feeling like something was tearing her insides out.

"Her name is Tris." He smiled sadly as he tapped on the photo before placing it back in his pocket. "Every time Christmas comes around I have to avoid the alcohol or else I'll become a regular alcoholic like my old man." He sighed sadly and leaned back in his seat.

"I'm sorry I talked you ear off Ma'am, or if I've take any of your time." He took a deep breath.

Before Cortana could process her thoughts she blurted out, "Let me help you." She chewed on her bottom lip and watched for Jace's reaction.

"Ma'am" He lifted an eyebrow but anyone could see the sudden rush of hope that crossed his features.

"I can get you access." She stood up and smoothed her uniform.

"You have the authority…?" His voice trailed off confused.

"Leave that to me. Keep yourself busy. If anyone asks just say we were discussing the new Pelican renovations." She started to turn around when Jace called after her.

"Ma'am, I owe you everything, I've never meant anyone kinder then you." He saluted with a giant smile on his face. She saluted back and added,

"You're the one that should be thanked - your dedication to the UNSC is more valuable than you think." She pushed the door open to the hallway and noticed the increase in people roaming around, she checked the time.

0605

Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm and she quickly turned around, fist ready.

"I've been looking for you, you weren't in your room or the med wing and I was worried…" Chief quickly covered his panicked expression but not quick enough for the AI to catch.

"I'm sorry I was in the mess hall talking to an ODST." She was bluntly honest with the Spartan.

"Talking about what?" He lifted an eyebrow and watched her curiously.

"Umm…Pelican renovations…" She broke his eye contact and looked at the floor.

"Cortana," He awkwardly let go of her after realizing he was still holding onto her arm.

"Okay," She sighed annoyed at his ability to make her admit anything, "He was telling me about his family, and how he needs to get home for Christmas…" Chief cut her off.

"Christmas?" He asked confused.

"Yeah its some weird thing some of the colonies celebrate," She waved the question away and continued, "I need to get him access on one of the transport ships to earth."

"Something tells me you're not supposed to do that." He shifted his stance, something he did when he was thinking.

"Your 'something' is correct, but he _needs _to get to earth." Chief opened his mouth to argue but Cortana added, "He has a four year old kid that he's never been able to meet before and a wife he hasn't seen in about five years Chief." She crossed her arms, challenging the Spartan.

Of course she knew none of these things usually got past Johns head. The pieces and emotions never added up, and he would always shrug in confusion at her strange compassion towards, in his perspective, insignificant things. But strangely enough he nodded in agreement.

"You're agreeing with me?" She over exaggerated a surprised voice.

"Hey, I'm in the Christmas spirit." He shrugged.

"Do you even know what that means?" She started laughing.

"Roland mentioned it to me once." He gazed off trying to push his mind to remember.

"Come on, let's go." She started down the hallway, he easily caught up.


End file.
